How I came to love Peeta
by MrsMellark78
Summary: It's Modern Day set in my city in England and Katniss is rediscovering her crush on a certain baker but little did she know that he felt the same way. How could one punch turn into a world full of happiness? Katniss POV and Peeta POV.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys! I've wanted to write this for a while, but thought I needed to update my other stories first which I did!**

**It's Modern Day and Katniss goes to my school in England but obviously it's renamed but if you don't understand some of it just tell me because my school is pretty confusing. She's sixteen in my story and Prim is only ten and also she has a good relationship with her mum. It's Katniss and Peeta POV perhaps future Gale POV and Katniss loves Peeta but thinks he hates her. Until she finds out more . . .**

**Now let the story begin . . .**

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Katniss POV

I wake up to my alarm, I think it must be the loudest alarm in the country, it's only six - thirty these past two weeks which were the Christmas holidays I was sleeping in until two in the afternoon, it's way too early. I'm hit snooze and I'm about to roll over and go back to sleep when my mum bursts into my room,

"Come on! Time to get up!" She orders, I love my mum but where school is concerned she's strict about it, "come on, Katniss! First day of Mockingjay School after Christmas you still need to give Annie and Madge there gifts, don't want to be late."

I grown as I get up and she walks out to wake my sister Prim up, I pick up my skirt, tights, shirt, jumper and shoes and carry them down the stairs. I walk into the bathroom and have a shower, wash my hair and brush my teeth applying my lip gloss, I continue my usual morning routine by getting dressed in the bathroom and going to sit at the table whilst mum serves up toast and jam, my favourite! I eat quickly after realising the time whilst my mum puts my hair in it's signature braid to speed things along, Prim is across from me putting on her coat as she has finished her breakfast. I do the same and we kiss our mum goodbye, me and Prim walk out the door and race to the bus stop just to see our bus stopping at the stop. We board and begin our unusual first day back at school.

I've had double history, form, break, maths and now I sit in music, next to one of my best friend Annie whilst Madge is opposite her. I hate Miss Guest, and she hates me the reason I know this is because she spat in my face whilst she was telling me off about stating that I was simply bored. Also at the start of the lesson, Annie and Madge asked her if they could get some batteries for the keyboards she said Yes and then they found out a battery was in wrong and now she won't stop giving all three of us dirty looks.

"Girls," she says in an evil tone. "Lets see what you've done in this so called 'boring' lesson."

Us three play our tunes and the class applauded but Miss Guest just wrote something down and continued on to the next three. The day continues smoothly and I pick up Prim from her Mockingbird School gates and we walk home in silence, we mean the world to each other but sometimes we know so much about each other there's nothing more to say. I get home and quickly change before heading to pick up one of the dogs I get paid to take for a walk and we walk down to the park.

I'm half of the way round when I see him, Peeta Mellark he's an idiot, he was horrible to my best friend Delly who moved to Australia. I just can't help myself, I ignore the voice in my head telling me to stop and go ahead and punch him write in the nose. It starts to bleed and then he aims to punch my face but I move and he gets my shoulder and it absolutely kills, the dog I was walking called Tink comes up to us and expects me to throw her ball which stops the fight, I throw it and walk away from Peeta. I used to have a massive crush on him but there may still be a tiny crush I have on him now but nothing major, he works in his mum's bakery next to birds they sell the most delicious cakes. The only reason for my crush is his cute smile and his big blue eyes that make me have butterflies in my stomach but he's also really good with words, he doesn't mumble or stutter he just says it.

I near the end of the park and call Tink to come, she does as I ask and I clip her lead on and I drop her off but my shoulder still kills, I'll have to get Prim to look at it she wants to be a nurse like my mum and she has a natural talent.

When I reach home I let Prim have a look she says, it'll just bruise pretty badly but that's okay I guess because it's winter so I'm wearing long sleeved t-shirts in the day and onesies to bed so mum will never see it, she can't know I got into a fight she'll kill me.

_The Next Day_

I tell Madge and Annie about Peeta and Annie makes a joke out of his epic fail at attempting to hit my face but catching my shoulder instead. The day is full of strange occurrences but nothing to strange but sadly tonight I have to take Tink to the park again so I might see Peeta and I hope he doesn't get my face this time. So I pick Prim up from school again but instead of the comfortable silence like yesterday I'm hit with a ton of awkward questions about my shoulder which I avoid as much as possible. We get in I say hi to mum before getting changed and heading out the door to pick up Tink and take her to the park, when I get there Peeta is about 2 metres away from me. He walks over and I'm about to throw the first punch, when his lips crash into mine for about ten seconds before going again, I look at him in utter shock,

"Sorry, I couldn't wait any longer, I'll see you same place tomorrow" and he walks off and leaves me confused. What did he mean he couldn't wait any longer? Why does he think I'm going to come tomorrow? Does this mean he has feelings for me? I try and answer these questions as I walk around the tree covered park occasionally throwing a stick for Tink and by the time I've dropped Tink off and are back at home the only thing I can think is I'll have to go tomorrow.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey I just wanted to say the bit about the music teacher is a true story it only happened on Tuesday (10/3/2014) also thanks for reviewing Mellark love any reviews are much appreciated I'm not sure where this story will go so please give me some ideas and how shall I introduce Gale? **

**Now for the story . . .**

Katniss POV

After yesterday, I realised how confused I was so I decided to tell Prim this morning but I don't want to tell mum yet so for now it's just Prim. I asked her to come into my room just after we had woken up and she did so, she climbed into my bed and I began to explain about my old crush and then he was an idiot, but now I think my crush may be there again. Then came the confusing bit about him kissing me, Prim listened closely through my story and she didn't say much afterwards,

"Four words - match made in heaven!" I groan, "come on, Katniss. He kissed you! Guys don't just randomly kiss girls without it meaning something to them and along with what he said after about him not being able to wait that long. Katniss he loves you and you love him. You have to promise me something though, if he asks you out say yes."

She gives me her puppy dog eyes and pouts, she knows I can't resist that look, "fine! I promise, I guess it won't be that bad any way."

She smiles successfully, and we both get to our usual morning routines, we finish say goodbye to mum and walk out the door to catch our bus. Prim sits near the front with her friends and I see Madge and Annie sitting towards the back, I'm walking up the middle when I'm stopped by an arm. I look at the owner of the arm and it's none other than Peeta Mellark.

"Katniss, we need to talk," he says seriously. "Now preferably."

"I thought you went to Jabberjay's not Mockingjay's, and I was told you walk any way."

"Katniss, just sit down," he pats the seat next to him, I sigh and sit next to him. "Sorry, about yesterday, but can you promise me you'll come tonight?"

"I guess so," and his face lights up and we continue the ride to school in silence. Half way through the ride though I turn to see two guys teasing and upsetting Madge and Annie which angers me, I get up and walk down the aisle of the bus. The two guys have there backs to me so I tap them both on the shoulder and then turn around,

"Go away, grey eyes can't you see we're busy here?" One of them asks, "go sit somewhere else."

"I would but my fist has an appointment with your face," before either of them can register what I just said I hit them both in the nose. But they immediately make a come back the tallest one grabs my arms to prevent me from fighting back whilst the other starts to throw punches, he's thrown so many I feel another will make me pass out but they stop. I realise Peeta has knocked the other one out and is pulling the tallest one off me and then knocks him out. I'm about to thank him when I feel dizzy and I feel myself fall and I black out.

I awake a couple of hours later and find I'm in the nurses office, I slowly sit up and look around to find the nurse at the computer at the other side of the room but surprisingly Peeta is sitting right next to me.

"Hey," I say which makes him realise I'm awake and he smiles, "what happened?"

"I'll leave you and your boyfriend alone for a minute," the nurse says and she get up and walks out of the room, my eyebrows are raised.

"Boyfriend?"

"Yeah, sorry she wasn't gonna let me stay other wise, and it was my fault I didn't have the guts to react after the first punch not after the seventh, I'm sorry. Do you want me to go?" He asks.

"No," he looks shocked at my answer. "Stay please! And anyway what happened after you knocked out them two guys?"

"Ok, I'll stay. Well about the fight, I may or may not have caught you as you fainted and then I may or may not have carried you bridal style into the nurses office," Peeta admits shyly.

"Really?" He nods, and I believe him, I believe him so much that I find myself kissing him, put he doesn't pull away, he kisses me back. "Does this mean anything?"

"I guess you want me to do it properly?" He asks and I nod waiting for a question, "well I guess you'll just have to wait until five o'clock tonight then won't you."

I go in a huff at his answer, but this just brings more puzzling questions to me like, Did he know I loved him? Did he expect me to fall for him? Was this his plan all along? The questions just make me feel like I'm going mental, and grumble with anger which shocks Peeta but I just continue to walk around the nurses office until she comes back, I take the opportunity to look at the clock it reads quarter to three that means Peeta's been here all day and I should be I English with Mrs. Twill.

"Peeta?" I ask, he looks up at me so I continue, "have you been here all day?"

He's about to answer when the nurse comes in, I'll just give you some paracetamol and your boyfriend said he'll walk you home. I nod and accept the medicine and Peeta hands me my bag and he gets up from his seat, and he walks me the two miles home I still don't understand why.

I walk in and see a note on the dining table, it reads: _Katniss, Prim has a dentist appointment and then we're visiting Auntie Hazelle we won't be back until seven. Dinners in the fridge. Luv you lots, Mum xxx_

I decided to pass the time by getting ready for the park, this week Tink's owners are on holiday so she's in the Kennels but I have to go see Peeta. It's still only quarter past four when I'm ready so I watch TV until ten to five and I set off for the park. As I turn up the alleyway that leads up to the park, it seems deserted and I begin to worry. I reach the park and see none but someone pats me on the shoulder and as I turn around I'm greeted by a smiling Peeta who holds a bunch of roses in his hand and he gives them to me.

"So, what was so important about us coming here," I ask.

"Well, if you were more observant you would of noticed but anyway," he continues getting back to the point. "Katniss, will you go on a date with me?"

"I don't know, when?" I ask, playfully but he looks worried but answers my question.

"Now, right here," he says.

"Of course, Peeta. What did you have in mind?"

"How about a candlelit picnic under the stars?"

"Really?"

"Anything for you," he smiles happily. "Follow me"

We link arms and he guides me around the other side of the park where I see a picnic laid out which is surrounded by candles. It looked so romantic, I loved it, he had made these amazing cheese buns they were still warm inside. We get to know a lot about each other too which was nice but there was still one unanswered question,

"Why did you act like an idiot around Delly?"

"It wasn't like that, she had come into the bakery earlier that day and really missed my family off and when they found out I was the only one who had ever seen her before, they blamed me. You don't know how horrible it was, she needed to realise what the consequences were. I am sorry though."

I don't reply because others had told me this and I never believed them, the only reply I give is a kiss at first he seems shocked but then he deepens the kiss and it turns into a make out session. All I can think is I'm falling for Peeta Mellark.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello all my lovely readers, as usual review, favourite and follow. Love you all, any ideas will be included with credits all to you. I'm changing Katniss's age to sixteen which is her age in the book and so is Peeta but Prim is still ten.**

**Thanks to gale lover for the idea, of how Gale is included in all this.**

**On with the story . . .**

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Peeta POV

We're interrupted by my phone ringing, I sigh and answer it, it's mum and she seems really worried (and she never is). "Peeta, Gale just knocked on our front door, he's beat up pretty bad and he won't tell us why or who did this too him. We need you home now." She seems like she's tearing up and this makes me automatically get up, and start quickly clearing up the picnic, when I'm nearly finished I notice Katniss is standing over me watching puzzlingly.

"Who was on the phone? Is something wrong?" She asks worriedly.

"Katniss, I really have to go. Family emergency, and family comes first, I'm sorry." I wrap my arms around her and say goodbye, I pecks her on the cheek and I watch as she picks up her bag and calls back sadly, "Peeta, I love you."

"Katniss, I love you too. Bye," I hope she didn't hear the tone in my voice. Why am I doing this to her? She seems to really love me, but I know mum and dad don't like Delly, so if Katniss comes round for dinner Sunday night, they'll think I love, what they call, a real person. And I get bonus of someone backing me up when I start Mockingjay School on Monday.

By this time, I've reached my car and pulling out onto the road, I speedily follow the road down, then turn left, then right until I reach the Bakery. My mum owns the bakery and we were going to call it Birds Bakery because everything around here was bird related but we realised, how the help were birds related to bread and cakes so we called it Mellark's Bakery. I step out of my car, leaving the picnic basket in the back and unlock the front door, I hear nothing but heavy breathing and then dad calls, "Peeta? We're in the living room."

I turn into the first room and find Gale lying on the sofa and my parents and brothers are sitting in the same room. He's covered in bruises and has a black eye, his wrist is swollen and his ear is bleeding, he looks dreadful. Gale and I have been mates for as long as we can both remember, my dad and his dad were friends until his dad died leaving his mother, Hazelle, to look after four children.

"We rang an ambulance, they should be here soon," Rye my oldest brother explains. "Hazelle won't pick up her phone."

I walk over to Gale and sit on the carpet in front of the sofa facing him, my family exits the room they must want to know who did this too him as much as I do, "hey, I haven't seen you in a while. How are you? Where you been?"

"Well apart from being beaten up I'm good," he laughs at his own words, typical Gale always making a joke out of everything.

"Gale, are you gonna tell me who did this and why so that I can go and kick some ass. Or are we gonna find out the hard way so that I can go and kick some ass." I ask, "either way I'm gonna find out and kick some ass."

He sighs giving up his fight, "well you know how I told you I was gonna do some work experience abroad. I decided to go without telling anyone, I was on the plane by the time I told my . . . I mean Hazelle," he says gruffly why is he not calling Hazelle, mum? "I got back home about an hour ago, I expected a hug and a telling off but instead she knocked me unconscious I woke up it must have been an hour later and she decided to take out all the anger she's hidden all these years on me."

I'm shocked. Hazelle, is always so sweet and kind and generous, but if it's true he'll have a hard time forgetting he was beat up by his own mother. I see an ambulance pull up outside, there's then a knock at the door and I hear mum talking to the man, she must have been eavesdropping because she tells him exactly what Gale told me. She then explains we're close family friends and that I will be riding in the ambulance with him. The paramedic makes his way in the living room and gasps at what has happened to Gale, I must say I wanted to do that as my first reaction to seeing him because he truly looks terrible.

He checks his pulse on a small machine and his heartbeat, he then examines his wrist which he declares is broken and then Gale's eyes start to slowly close, his heartbeat begins to race all I can think is, will this be the end of Gale Hawthorne?

The paramedic shouts for his two co-workers who come racing in with a stretcher in a blink of an eye there heading out the door with Gale, I grab my shoes and race out to the ambulance and board with Gale who has been put on oxygen.

I sit by him praying that he will be alright, praying that he'll pull through, the ambulance lights are on and the siren bellowing, one of the paramedics is asking me questions and my mind is bewildered with everything going on and I'm not even the one whose losing consciousness. There is just one clear thought in my mind -

Hazelle is going to pay for this!


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey! So this chapter is Peeta POV again and you'll find out what's happening with Delly, because chapter one says that she used to be Katniss's best friend and then chapter three Peeta mentions Delly. So you'll find out what all this is about.**

**By the way neither Gale or Katniss know that there cousins, Mrs Everdeen never knew she had a nephew either.**

**Read and review!**

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Peeta POV

I've been visiting the hospital everyday and Delly turned up for the first time in two weeks yesterday, turns out she likes my plan so we're back together and happy. But then of course there's Katniss nothing more has happened between us, I can't stand to see someone so happy but it's actually fake.

Delly used to be Katniss's best friend and we hated each other but then Delly moved to Australia for a year and when she came back she had changed. She never wanted to see Katniss again and she had started school at Jabberjay school instead of Mockingjay School, I'm surprised no one told Katniss. I helped her around and we became friends and then one day I couldn't help myself so I kissed her but she kissed me back so we were going out until I told her that my parents didn't like anything about her. I told her my idea and at first she was completely against but she has seen the positives of the idea and we're dating again!

We know that by the end of our plan Katniss will be heartbroken but we really have no choice if we want my parents to except Delly as part of the family, we have to go through with it. But there is a slight floor in the plan, I've stopped thinking of Delly and how sexy she is and now all I can think of is how breathtakingly beautiful she is. I don't think neither of us expected this, and that's why I can't tell her, she'll break up with me and everyone will find out about how I played Katniss and my life will be forever ruined.

I've not been to school at all this week, I know my mum will get fined but I don't really care because the council know shit about my life and there all snobs the lot of them. I've not turned up for work either but dad has excused me from that, but I won't be paid so I'll be short until next week. The doctor's say that Gale can leave this afternoon but he's never aloud to see Hazelle again, so he's going to stay at our house until he gets on his feet again.

It's Thursday today so I'm expected to go to school at Mockingjay High tomorrow, I'm sure that it'll be pretty cool, but there will be awkwardness between any of Katniss's friends but I'm not expecting her to be one of the populars of the school. The doctor has just walked in and he begins to explain to Gale what's happening,

"You will be living at Mr. Mellark's house until you get on your feet, you will be expected for the next three days to have a lot of rest and if you must walk anywhere you will use the wheelchair provided, Mr. Mellark is here to pick you up. Any questions?"

"Will I go to school tomorrow?" Gale asks clearly not wanting to go to school, "because I don't know whether I can manage all the tests."

"No Mr. Hawthorne you will not be expected to attend school," and then he turns his attention to me. "Mr Mellark, you however, will be expected to attend school as normal and I expect you will be sent a fine but if you want to take it to court, I will happily be your witness because I was fined for visiting my wife's grave up in Lincolnshire so I can't stand the government."

He then walks out the room and Gale chuckles to himself, anyone who doesn't live in the Capitol can't stand the guts of the Prime minister Coriolanus Snow, he's a stupid bastard who can't understand people's lives outside of the Capitol. I walk out of Gale's room and find a nurse with a wheelchair, I take it off her, thank her and wheel it into Gale's room. His jaw drops, I don't think he believed the doctor when he said he'd have to go in a wheelchair for three days.

"I don't need that, I can stand up and walk about perfectly fine by myself," he says stubbornly. He attempts to stand up but falls back onto his bed in failure, he tries again and smiles when he stays standing but when he lifts his foot off the floor to take a step he falls again the smile disappeared from his face and replaced with a frown. "Well, don't just stand there chuckling to yourself help me into that fricking wheelchair

I chuckle at his statement before helping him into the wheelchair, when he's in I grab his bag and I wheel him out of his room, he is discharged from the ward and is instructed to take paracetamol just to prevent any headaches. I wheel him out of the hospital main entrance to find my mum standing talking to another woman, who seems to be a nurse, but as they see us the other woman walks off inside the hospital.

"Who was that?"

"Oh her, she knows Hazelle but said she never knew she had a son, but anyway how are you Gale?"

"I'm fine apart from being in this fricking wheelchair!" He buffs, which makes me and, surprisingly, mum chuckle. Mum takes over from wheeling Gale and we can see the bakery van parked in the pick up zone. We quickly put Gale in the passenger seat and I will have to sit in the back, crushed by everything in there. We soon arrive home and I show Gale to my room and he makes himself at home, I see an unexpected smirk spread across his face.

"What?"

"Don't go, what, to me." He says, "I heard about you and Katniss."

"What?" I say, stunned that he knows her name, "how do you know her?"

"Are you kidding?" He says surprised, "she's the most popular girl at Mockingjay High, she's one of the Victors!"

"Victors?" I say confused by what he's on about.

"Oh my God, you can't go to Mockingjay High tomorrow and not know this. At Mockingjay High there is a load of different groups for example, the Tributes is where everyone starts at so if you stay a tribute the entire time there your a loner basically. Then there are the Careers, the ones who are snobby and all thinking there 'it' when there really not and then there is the Victors, these are 'it' everyone wants to date them and everyone thinks there fit and hot. The reason Katniss is the most popular is because she is completely oblivious to who she really is and plus she can get feisty when she wants to be."

"Yeah, I can be a witness to her eyewitness." I mumble, how can I be fake dating the most popular girl at Mockingjay High, everyone is going to hate me!

"I think you'll have quite a day tomorrow!"


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey! I was having real trouble with writer's block but after reading it over again, I think I've got the next chapter! Sorry about not updating soon, I've also been writing my own story as well so as always read & review!**

**MrsMellark78**

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Katniss POV

After my date with Peeta I went back home and mum and Prim were back an hour later, the dentist appointment was really delayed and they couldn't get hold of Hazelle so they didn't go and see her. Mum then had to go to the Hospital and she didn't turn up until about six o'clock the next evening. Tomorrow Peeta is supposed to be starting school at Mockingjay but mom found out some interesting news about Hazelle, she had ran away from her house when they went to see her because she beat up her son, who we knew nothing about, and he only got out of hospital today. Apparently he's gone to live with a family friend and mum got the phone number so we can visit them soon, I was listening to my music earlier but now I'm slowly drifting off to sleep.

_The next day (Peeta POV)_

I woke up to my alarm which I had set wrong by half an hour so I get up and dressed as quickly and as silently as possible and being careful where I step so I don't wake Gale and I grab an apple on my way out. I board the bus and pay the driver, I take a seat towards the back of the bus, passing Madge and Annie on the way, and make sure to save a seat for Katniss. The next stop is her usual stop so I wait in anticipation so that I can explain what happened after our date and why I had to rush off. To my surprise only Prim gets on the bus and walks up the stairs onto the top deck where her friends are probably waiting for her. The driver continues and I am very puzzled at why Katniss isn't here, Gale was telling me last night that even when she's ill she turns up for school, so where is she?

It actually scares me how much I'm worrying about her, I walk in the direction a sign points which reads: General Office and there I find a very over-excited woman, whose name is Miss Trinket, who hands me my schedule and directs me to my first class. I have Math first and I arrive a few minutes late but the teacher excuses me just this once, I see the tables all have names on, this must be a very strict teacher. At the back corner of the class I find an empty seat and the seat next to me is also empty but on that one there is a name and the name reads: Katniss Everdeen, I've chosen my seat well.

_Katniss POV_

My mum wasn't in this morning and I found a note, which she must of left, on the dinning room table which I hold in my hand now, it reads;

_Kat & Prim, I was called into work today so I won't be back until about seven o'clock tomorrow night, if you want to you can visit your cousin that we didn't know about and see how he's getting on. The phone number is 07977 123456 you don't have to but if you do go take the box of chocolates which is in the fridge. If only Kat wants to go that's fine but Prim can't go on her own. Tonight's dinner is in the fridge it's Lamb Stew with plums, enjoy! See you tomorrow girls. Mum xx_

"Today is the auditions for the dance academy and I can't miss it, so I can't go," says Prim. She loves dancing but every term at school she has to audition again so obviously today is the day for this term. "Are you going to go, I mean, Peeta will be there today."

"I don't feel like going to school so I'll take the chocolates, that of course depending on whether they are in so I'll phone them up now," I say walking into the living room and picking up the house phone before dialling in the number.

"Hello?"

"Hi, I'm the niece of Hazelle Hawthorne and my mum said I could visit my cousin, so I was wondering if I could come and see him, since I only heard of him yesterday."

"Oh, yes, of course you can come dear, do you know where Mellark's Bakery is?" Asks the woman at the end of the line.

"Yes," I answer, everyone knows that bakery, it sells the best cheese buns ever!

"If you walk up I'll meet you outside of there," suggests the woman. "Mine name is Melissa by the way."

"I'm Katniss, I'll be up there soon," I say. "Goodbye Melissa."

"Goodbye, Katniss," and I hang up the phone. I make Prim some cereal before having a shower and putting on some jeans, a speckled pink t-shirt and a maroon jacket, finishing the look off with my boots and applying some lip gloss.

When I return back downstairs Prim has finished her cereal and is all ready for school, she holds her normal school bag as well as a bag which probably holds stuff to change into for dance academy. I smile at her before grabbing an apple and my small bag and unlocking the front door and out she goes, just as I leave I remember Prim's bus money and grab some from the rainy day money and then exit the house locking the door behind me.

"See you, Katniss," she says as I give her a hug and her bus money. "Are you coming in at all today?"

"I don't think I can face him just yet Prim, if he asks where I am tell him I'm ill, okay?" I say smiling and she nods, "I know I can't avoid him forever but I can avoid him for today, I love you Prim!"

"Love you too, Kat," and with that she walks off towards the bus stop whilst I walk in the other direction, towards the bakery.

When I see the school bus in the distance I stay in the shadows and when it passes I continue normally and eventually I reach the outside of Mellark's Bakery and I see a woman with her chef whites on standing waiting for me, so this is Melissa, I think to my self. She greets me with a warm smile and a shake of the hand and explains how she can't believe that Hazelle never told us about her son, our cousin. She tells me that her husband is in the back of the bakery working but her three sons are at school.

"Peeta was most outraged when he saw his best friend lying defeated on our living room couch but he has pulled himself together and went to school today," Melissa says and then realisation floods my face, oh no, I'm talking to Peeta Mellark's mum. My boyfriend's mum without even intending to, I consider telling her that I'm actually Peeta's girlfriend but decide against it, in case he's kept it a secret, "You can stay here as long as you want, but if you need anything me and Christopher will be in the bakery. He's just in there, you'll probably lighten his day actually because he's really bored just sitting in there."

And she leaves me to open the door of a room which when I walk in seems to be a bedroom, I see someone lying on the bed but I can't see his face because he's reading a magazine, but as I edge round I see his face and I am gobsmacked, "Gale Hawthorne is my cousin!"

And he stares at me and I watch his expression change to puzzled and then to realisation, Gale Hawthorne must have been out with nearly all the girls at Mockingjay High, except the ones who have a brain which includes me. How will this work with Gale Hawthorne being my cousin?


	6. Chapter 6

**Hi everyone, so I thought I'd go right on to the next chapter so I don't leave you all in annoyance after my last cliffhanger. To all people on Team Gale I'm sorry I made him into a player but I just thought it would make things a little more interesting, and if I carry this on for quite a long time, there will be eventual Gadge, sorry but I ship Everlark not Everthorne. As always read& review!**

**MrsMellark78**

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_Katniss POV_

"What the hell, are you doing here?" Gale asks slightly surprised, "shouldn't you be at school? You have perfect attendance, why would you break it just to visit me?"

"I didn't really feel like going," I shrug and sit at the bottom of the bed. "I brought you some chocolates, they're from me, Prim and my mum. Prim would've come but she has an audition for dance academy and my mum's at work so you'll have to put up with just me."

He smirks and tentatively sits up and groans in a little pain, "so Katniss Everdeen is my cousin, well I guess I definately have to give up trying to ask you out on a date, now." which makes both me and him laugh, "what do you want to do? The only thing n my reach was that cooking magazine of Peeta's it was making me drool."

"Wait, this is Peeta's room?" I ask and he nods and I suddenly take great interest in the room, "did he mention me at all in the time that he was visiting you this week?"

"Yeah, actually, the first chance I got I asked him about you, he was completely surprised when I told him you were the most popular girl in school. I had to explain about the groups because he had no idea," he explains and I am shocked when he says I'm popular. "But there is something that you should ask him, when you next see him ask him about Delly."

"Wait, why Delly? She was my best friend, why would I ask him about her when she's in Austrailia?" I ask completely puzzled at why he would bring up such a random subject as Delly into this conversation, "what has Delly got to do with Peeta?"

"She got back from Australia, at the start of last year but she started at Jabberjay High nad she told everyone to keep it a secret from you because she never wanted to see you again," he says and his eyes are full of honesty whilst mine are on the verge of tears. "And as for Delly and Peeta I think Peeta has the right to tell you about that and not me but just be careful of him."

I can honestly say that I'm shocked with this new, protective Gale Hawthorne but I always wanted someone to look out for me so I guess Gale is the next best thing to an older over-protective brother, my eyes spill a few tears and I swipe them away angrily. What did I do to Delly that was so bad that she never wants to see me again? We were best friends, I was the one who always stood by her, I was the one who beat Peeta up for her when he was making fun of her. So why has she decided to go against me? My tears, no matter how quickly I wipe them away, just continue and Gale wraps his arms around me, which at first I tensed up at but then I realised he was just being the over-protective brother that I always wanted, so I relaxed and sobbed into his shoulder. For the rest of the day we came up with the strangest things to do but it was fun and actually I lost complete track of time.

_Peeta POV_

I wandered around the school alone today and I heard lots of snippets of conversations and the most popular subject of the day was Katniss. People have been trying to ask Prim about it all day but all she's been saying is that she's ill but according to most people they think it's because of something else, they really are crazy about her because some kid even offered Miss Trinket one hundred pounds if she told him where she was but she refused the offer.

I'm on the bus home now and wait until I tell Gale that I got into a fight on my first day, and yet again it was because of Katniss, some guys were saying that they hoped that she'd killed herself and it made me slightly annoyed. Put it this way this guy now has his arm and leg in a cast because of it, I can't stand it when people say stuff that's that horrible about other people because it can make people suicidal.

I jumped down off the bus and onto the pavement and said thank you to the driver and now I'm on the street of the bakery, I can see it just now and I can smell the freshly baked bread from a mile off. I take a deep breath and prepare myself to explain to my mum and dad why I'm covered in bruises and I step in to find my mum at the cash register and rather surprisingly she smiles at me.

"Gale has been very happy today you can hear them laughing from down here," and she's cut off by some laughing which proves her point.

"Why is he so happy?" I ask puzzled, how can someone be laughing that much when he's by himself, unless he's gone mental. "Is someone with him?"

"Yes, his cousin. I think he's really happy to have a member of his family here and after all he only met her today," she says talking to me while getting someone's order. "She's a lovely girl, you'd really like her, go on up I'm sure there's room for one more."

"Okay, I'll bake some bread when she's gone then," I say but she shakes her head. "Why not? When am I supposed to do it?"

"If it's when she's left it'll be quite late, I really think she should stay as long as she can," she says whilst putting money in the cash register. "She's really helping Gale."

I nod my head and leave to the back of the bakery and head up the stairs, I hear more laughter coming from my bedroom and I stand outside the door considering knocking or not and decide against it since it's my room. So I just open the door and all laughter atops, I see Gale sitting against the headboard on my bed and a girl lies next to him but I can't see her face because they're flipping through my photo album!

"What the hell?" I say making myself known in the room, "Gale that's mine even you haven't seen half of the ones in there."

"Well, now both me and Katniss have seen all your childhood photos," he says putting the photo album on the bedside table and I can see the girl now and sure enough it is Katniss, she wasn't at school because she was at my house in my room. "There were quite a few funny ones, oh, why am I lying? They were all hilarious!"

"Katniss, so your Gale's cousin, have you seriously been here all day?" I ask trying to change the subject, "why didn't you text me, Gale? I would've come home early by faking an illness or something."

"I think Katniss should answer that question," he says and we both look at Katniss and I have no idea what she is going to say.

"Peeta, who is Delly?" My eyes widen unexpectedly at her name, could Gale have told her, "I mean only today I found out she was in England but what is she to you?"

"We're arch enemies, Katniss." I lie but everyone knows I'm the best liar ever, "I saw her at Jabberjay High and assumed that you knew."

"Gale, now I've heard his answer which is what I expected," she says turning to Gale. "Why did you want me to ask him that?"

"I'm sorry, Peet but it's for your own good, Peeta doesn't love you, I don't even thinks he likes you. He's been going out with Delly for ages and their plan was to get his parents to think you were worse than Delly so that they would except her," he explains to Katniss. "They're both idiots and they don't know what's good for them. Delly deserves to be alone and Peeta doesn't deserve anybody especially you, who is the most wanted girl at school."

"Katniss, before you freak out at me, let me explain," I say backing towards my door. "It didn't go the way I expected and I think I may have fallen in love with you by accident. I would've let you down easy though."

"Let me down easy? How considerate of you and your fake girlfriend. And by the way I don't freak out, I completely skip that stage and go straight to the kill with people like you and Delly, you make me sick. If only Gale lived with us then I wouldn't have to come back here but it seems I will everyday but when I am here or at school don't you dare to talk to me or come near me with a ten foot barge pole. You are such a bastard!" She screams at my face, she gives Gale a quick hug and then picks up her bag and leaves, "Gale, I'll see what I can do about that thing we talked about earlier."

He nods at her and she exits, I look back at Gale and I can see the anger, bubbling up behind his eyes and I am now terrified of my best mate. I can't believe I did this to her, it was her of all people, I was probably the luckiest man alive.


	7. Chapter 7

**Hi everyone another chapter is here! I wrote the last one twice because what I wrote first turned Gale really evil. But then I decided that he's not the evil cousin but an over-protective cousin so I hoped that was better. If you didn't realise Katniss and Gale have basically declared war against Delly and Peeta but don't worry Everlark will come! As always Read & Review!**

**MrsMellark78**

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_Katniss POV_

I kind of guessed that it was something like him cheating on me with her but I never would have guessed what the true reality was. When I reach the bakery I bump into Melissa and she frowns when she sees the rage in my eyes, "what happened, Katniss, you were laughing before I sent Peeta up. Did he do something?"

"He's an asshole that's what's wrong," I say trying to step around her but she follows my movement. "Excuse me I'd like to go home."

"What makes my son an asshole?" She asks, "what did he do?"

"We were going out, but turns out his part was completely fake because he was with Delly and they were planning to make me seem worse than Delly when around you so that you'd except Delly if it was between us two." I explain and emotion hits me like a ton of bricks and I silently begin to sob, and Melissa rubs my back.

"Don't you worry, I'll sort him out, and anyway Delly is a bitch and from what I've seen of you today you certainly aren't," she reassures me and I feel a smile creep on to my face. "She's banned from this place anyway."

"Melissa, I was wondering, if it would make life easier if we had Gale since we are family and we don't want to burden you with our problems," I say trying to let Gale live with me and my family is step one of our plan we planned it actually for Delly but it seems Gale was thinking about Peeta all the time.

"I don't see why not but you talk to your mum and see what she says because Gale is off school again on Monday and needs someone with him," she explains. "But I'm sure it would do him good being with family."

"Thank you, Melissa. I'll get my mum to contact you this evening," I say walking out of the bakery, hiding my smirk. When I turn off the street of the bakery I run home because I want as much time to complete our plan as possible.

_Peeta POV_

I would've gone after her but Gale decided to freak me out, he edges towards the end of my bed so he's closer to me, "I can't believe you, I was astonished when you first brought it up because I may have slept with nearly every girl at Mockingjay High but I let them down easy before moving on. I never cheated on anyone, I can't believe ypu, to my own cousin."

"She only became your cousin this morning and you knew about it on when you were in the hospital, why does it change things?" I ask, "why?"

"Because she, believe it or not, is family and I think I probably only have three members of my family who actually care about me now and two I've never met, you don't seem to understand, once they're family everything changes. Katniss let her . . ."

He trails off when mum walks in, "Katniss got home and her mum rang me up, they were wondering whether you'd be more comfortable around family, I said it would help you a lot and I told them about next Monday and Mrs Everdeen said she'll let Katniss have another day off. Is that okay with you, if you go and live there? I will visit you probably on Sunday, if you want, but I need to know from you."

"Oh yes, of course, I would love to live with family, I hate to be a burden to this family," he says in delightful tone but I can still hear slight rage. "When are they coming?"

"In half an hour, so Peeta you need to carry him down stairs when he's got all his stuff together and in his bag," says my mum leaving the room and so I start to pick up Gale's stuff from around my room and put it in his bag before carrying him downstairs, which was very annoying since we were arguing, and sat him on the couch.

_Katniss POV_

Mum and Prim were already back when I got back from visiting Gale and when I suggested him staying at our house mum went and phoned Melissa straight away, that was half an hour ago now and we are in my mum's car on our way to pick him up. Prim's jumping up and down with excitement in the passenger seat and I'm seat in the back, telling them everything we did today and what he likes and doesn't like and even what he's scared of.

_Gale POV_

After Peeta put me down on the sofa, he rolled my wheelchair in and left, it's probably best otherwise he might've died because of all the anger in me despite my concussion. I've been waiting here for half an hour and a car has rolled up onto the drive of the bakery and I eagerly want to see the owner.

After a few minutes there's a knock on the door and I see Melissa walk past the living room door to answer it. I hear some muttering and then a girl who looks about ten with her blonde hair in two braids, comes running into the room and hesitates for a second before wrapping her arms around me. This must be Prim.

A woman with the same blonde hair as Prim walks in and Prim let's go of me so she can hug me as well, and then over the woman's shoulder I see Katniss walk in. She hasn't changed what she is wearing, it's still the jeans with a speckled pink t-shirt and maroon jacket, but it suits her. It's a shame as well as a reward having her as my cousin, I wanted to date her as soon as I saw her but now it just sounds disgusting, but it's good to have someone to look out for.

The woman, who must be my auntie Willow, let's go of me and I expect Katniss to give me a hug but she just sits down next to me and asks, "are you ready? Have you got everything?"

"Let me just have a look," I say looking into the bag and realising my phone isn't there. "No, my phone must still be in Peeta's room."

"I'll get it," Katniss says and she gets up and exits the room.

_Katniss POV_

I walk up the stairs to Peeta's room and knock just in case anyone is in there but there's no answer so I just walk in. I see Gale's phone on the bedside table and go to grab it but see an envelope with my name on it underneath it so I pick it up and hide it in my jacket and exit his room with Gale's phone.

When I get there everyone is in the hallway, including Gale in his wheelchair, and I say goodbye to Melissa and so does everyone else and I push Gale outside to the car and help him into the car and get in myself. My mum starts the car and we drive home and I'm clutching the envelope to my chest so that no one else knows about it.


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey! Thanks for all your reviews, it means so much! If any of you have any ideas, please write them and then I'll include them because I've lost the plot again! That bit about the envelope was just what I thought at the time so that was just something that I thought of at the time. Please give me some ideas! As always read & review!**

**MrsMellark78**

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_Katniss POV_

Gale will be sleeping in the guest room and thankfully it's downstairs, so I don't have to carry him anywhere. As soon as we got in mum made some more stew since Gale says that it was his favourite when he went abroad and mum really wants to impress him and make up for the time that we never knew anything about him so that's eighteen years for mum, sixteen years for me and ten years for Prim. I bring in Gale's dinner on a tray and while he's eating it, we talk about our plan.

"I won't be much help until Sunday you know, since I'm not allowed to go anywhere without being in a wheelchair until then and then even then they told me I should be restricted on how far I walk," Gale says in between spoonfuls of soup. "Sorry."

"It's not your fault but you have to help me with what to do because I'm not one for revenge," I say which is true I only do revenge by punching someone in the face, I never plan it out like Gale has suggested we do. "So you will be helping alot but just staying in bed."

"I'm tired right now, Katniss, sorry," he says finishing of his stew and yawning. "I'll help you in the morning."

I nod and give him a hug before leaving him alone, I rush up the stairs and into my room, I sit on my bed and undo my jacket and out falls the envelope, with Katniss neatly scrawled on it. I take a deep breath and open it, it's obviously from Peeta and I have no idea what it will say I unfold the piece of paper and it reads:

_Katniss, I'm really sorry about what I did but the thing is the plan went wrong and I ended up falling in love with you. I know saying sorry won't ever be enough and I really am sorry, I'll break up with Delly and even if it means I'm alone for the rest of my life, I'll only ever love you. If we can't be together then maybe we can be friends or anything except enemies, I wouldn't be able to live with myself if you hated me forever, don't tell anyone about this because I know they'll tell you that you deserve better and they are right. Everyone was really worried today, and by everyone I mean everyone, some guy even offered Miss Trinket a load of money if she told them where you were. But no one was more worried than me, I saved a seat on the bus for you even when we passed the stop, Prim said you were ill and I didn't believe her, I didn't want to believe her. I'm so sorry Katniss, call me if you want: 07977 987654 but you don't have to. I can't believe I did that to such a beautiful and perfect person. I love you, Peeta xx_

Tears are in my eyes and I don't know whether I should tell someone or not, what he said was really touching but he was planning to turn me into someone worse than Delly and that would mean making me the worst person in the world. I need to tell someone despite what he said and I think the only person I trust most with this is Prim.

I walk down the hallway to Prim's room and knock on the door she opens it and she can read me like a book and immediately gives me a hug and invites me into her room, everyone would think she's the older sister. I sit on her bed and hand her the letter I watch her face as she reads it and I think even she has a small tear.

"Wow, that is really something," she says finishing the letter and sitting beside me. "What do you want to do about it? I'm not stupid Katniss you clearly love him even though your planning something against him with Gale."

"I don't know whether it's just words or if it's true," I say sniffling. "He said that he loved me after our date in the park and I completely believed him but something was wrong and at the time I assumed it was because of his family emergency but I guess it was guilt. Prim, what would you do if this was you, you always do the best thing and all my thoughts are jumbled up, I need your help."

"I would ring him, I know you don't feel like it but if you want I'll talk to him first, you know I can tell when someones lying, I'll tell him whats wrong with you and why I rang up and if he wants to talk to you, you have to talk to him, Katniss." She says looking at me with her phone in her hand, "do you think you can do that?"

I nod and she opens up the letter again and dials his number, I thought she might put it on loud speaker but she doesn't, she just walks over to her bedroom window and looks out, "Hello, it's Prim."

_Peeta POV_

I wrote Katniss a note because I couldn't bare for her to hate me forever, I didn't pack Gale's phone on purpose so at least someone would see the note, I'm sitting on my bed now contemplating how I can break up with Delly when my phone rings, maybe it's Katniss. I answer it, "Hello?"

"Hello, it's Prim," answeres Katniss' little sister at the end of the line.

"How's Katniss?" I ask, "Did she get my note?"

"Yes," says Prim but she continues. "but she showed it to me because she was in tears she doesn't know what to do, she says that you've told her that you loved her before but then it was fake, she doesn't know whether to believe you or not. You messed up her head and now she's not sure whats true and whats fake, what do you truly want?"

"I want her, I do love her, I really didn't want to do that to Katniss. It was Delly's idea and the only reason I went along with it is because she was the most popular girl at Jabberjay High so because I was going out with her I was popular. I really didn't want to hurt Katniss, honestly. I really do love her, she's funny, smart and beautiful and it's unbelievable how she doesn't see it herself. Does she want to speak to me?"

I hear mumbling in the back ground but it's muffled so I can't make out what she was saying and then Katniss answers, "Hello."

"Katniss, I really am sorry, I really didn't want to hurt you. If I didn't go along with what Delly wanted then I would be made the most unpopular person in the entire school but now I've messed everything up because I'm not only going to break up with Delly but I've broken your heart. I know you probably won't be able to forgive me but can we be friends at least?"

It's silent on the other end of the phone and then I hear footsteps and then I hear Prim talking to Katniss, "where are you going?" "Prim, I'm going out." "I thought I was helping you?" "You have helped me but I want to be outside." "But it's my phone!" And then I hear a door slam shut and everything is silent again.

"Katniss?" I ask, "Are you still there?"

"Yeah, it's just, Peeta," she says. "I don't want to be friends."

"Oh," I say and I can't hide the sadness in my voice. "I understand, I'm sorry Katniss . . ."

And with that I don't let her reply I just put the phone down, I can't believe I did that to her, I'm a terrible person.


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey everyone I couldn't leave the last chapter as it was so here is chapter nine. In case it wasn't clear Peeta feels really guilty because he does love Katniss and plans on breaking up with Delly. We left it when he just hung the phone up on Katniss . . . As always read & review!**

**MrsMellark78**

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_Katniss POV_

He is such an idiot! When I said I didn't want to be friends I meant I wanted to be more than friends but he hung up before I could say anything of the sort. So now I'm walking to the bakery at seven o'clock in the evening and no one but me knows where I'm going, I still have Prim's phone but noone has phoned me yet so either Prim hasn't told mum or mum is giving me my own space for a bit. I'm freezing because I didn't think about putting on a jacket and the only thing in my jeans pocket is my b-line card for on the bus. I'm standing opposite the bakery now and the sign says closed but after spending the whole day in Peeta's bedroom I know which window is his.

I walk around the back of the bakery making sure not to be seen and I climb the drain pipe which goes right past Peeta's window, so I begin to climb, he could be in there or not, they might be working on cakes and bread for tommorrow or having dinner. I'm next to his window now and I feel like I've been knocking on it for about half an hour without any answer. So I grab my b-line card and use it to try and unlock the window and I hear a click when it unlocks. I open it with ease and climb into the room, it's empty so I sit on Peeta's bed, turn Prim's phone off and wait.

_(Two hours later)_

I've heard four different footsteps come up the stairs now but they have all gone into another room which isn't Peeta's so I have no idea where he is, I heard raised voices earlier and it as Melissa's voice I couldn't understand what it was about. I hear some footsteps coming up the stairs I get up silently and hide behind the door, it opens and in walks Peeta but he looks completely different from earlier, he's covered in bruises and has a black eye and a cut along his shoulder that has cut through his t-shirt, a gasp escapes me.

He turns around immediately and he can't see me because he hasn't turned his light on and the curtains are closed, he walks towards me and he's so close I can feel his breath on my face, I'm not sure whether he has realised it's me or not.

"Rye? Wheat?" he whispers, "Is that you?"

I can't help myself, I wrap my arms around him and he tenses up, I look at him, he sees me and he relaxs and wraps his arms around me and we stand there for a few minutes just hugging. "Your an idiot sometimes do you know that?"

"Why?" He asks, still not letting go of me, "Your the one who said you didn't want to be friends and yet you turn up here."

"You hung up before you let me say that I wanted to be more than just friends but not until you break up with Delly, I don't want you to have two girlfriends," I say still hugging him. "And don't do it over the phone."

"I won't but I'm confused about something," he says looking down at me. "How did you get in? And how long have you been here?"

"I was already walking here when you hung up on me and if you didn't realise I'm really good at climbing drain pipes and there just so happens to be one right outside your window," I say releasing him and sitting on his bed. "But do you want to know what I'm confused about?"

"What," he says sitting beside me holding my hand.

"My are you completely beaten up?" I ask and he drops his gaze to his knees, "Who did this to you? And why the hell would someone do this to you?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," he says and I raise an eyebrow at him so he continues. "My mum did it, she always does stuff like this too me, even if it's just a thing as burning a batch of bread or icing a few cupcakes wrong. But this time it was worse she made sure she made it worse as well, she wanted me to apologise to you and she didn't believe me when I told her about the letter, she's the opposite to Hazelle. Hazelle bottled it up and just let it all out at once, mum lets all her anger out when she feels it."

"Oh, Peeta, I'm so sorry, I was the one who told her and I probably made it sound worse than it actually was," I say feeling only guilt towards Peeta. "I'm so sorry."

"It's okay, she probably wouldn't have stopped anyway, the last time it was this bad was last year when I said I wanted to be an artist not a baker. You see my brothers can follow there sreams and become a professional footballer and be part of a band, me on the otherhand have to go into the family buisness. It was horrible, I was put in hospital but mum said I fell down the stairs." I hear a door slam from down the hall and Peeta tenses up, "You need to go, now! She'll shout at you and then she'll never like you."

"No, I'm not going anywhere," I say staying where I sit whilst Peeta tries to pull me up but my feet are planted to the ground. "If she has something to say she can say it to me as well."

"Please go, Katniss," he begs. "I don't want you to get hurt."

"I don't want you put in hospital," I counter but he continues to try to pull me up. "I'd rather be covered in bruises or put in hospital than see you put in hospital."

The door of Peeta's bedroom bursts open and Melissa stands there eyes bulging and she walks into the room and I can see the anger build up even more when she notices me, she holds a wooden pole in her hand. She lunges for Peeta but I jump in the way and get the full blast of it right on the head, I stumble backwards slightly and everything goes slightly blury but I don't move, which slightly surprises her. Sh steps to the left but I follow her movement , I become slightly dizzy and she notices she steps left then right but just as she lunges for Peeta again, she gets me in the exact same spot and I black out . . .


	10. Chapter 10

**Hey! Can't believe I've wrote three chapter today, this is the fourth! So Katniss had just blacked out after Peeta's mum had hit her on the head twice with a wooden pole. Lets see what Peeta thinks of this! As always read & review!**

**MrsMellark78**

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_Peeta POV_

I can tell Katniss is becoming dizzy but he won't let me stand in front of her, and my mum steps to teh left and then the right and she thinks she 's got me, as she lunges I close my eyes and wait for the hit but it doesn't come instead, I feel Katniss falling on me, she's blacked out. I see dad, Wheat and Rye at the door and while dad and Wheat pull mum back I see Rye on the phone probably calling an ambulance and I just hold Katniss in my arms.

About ten minutes later dad is with mum in the living room and I'm carrying Katniss down the stairs and into the ambulance, they suggested she be put on a stretcher but after I told them that she was guarding me they allowed me to hold her. I scroll down the contacts, on what seems to be Prim's phone and find a number under the name home, I press the call button and hope for an answer.

"Hello?" Prim answers on the other end.

"Hi, it's Peeta. You might want to come down to the hospital," I say and I hear Prim gasp.

"What? Why?" She says and I can hear the panic in her voice, "Is Katniss okay?"

And I tell her the whole story and by the end of it I have to say goodbye to Prim and carry Katniss into the hospital, they take her straight into Accident and Eergency and they xray her head to make sure that there's no long term damage. The doctor explains that she should be find but there will probably be some short term memory loss, I carry her everywhere the want her to go because I refuse to let her go unless absoloutely necesary. After about two hours she's lying, still blacked out, on a hospital bed and I sit right by, her holding her hand. Prim, Mrs Everdeen adn Gale, in his wheelchair come in and Gale gives me a glare but Prim just smiles and gives her sister a hug, Mrs Everdeen has tears in her eyes and Gale is still glaing at me.

"So it's your fault she is in here," Gale says slyly. "She goes to forgive you and she ends up getting put in hospital."

"No, Gale, it's my fault, I told her to go and see him," Prim says, which surprises me because Prim didn't know where she'd gone according to Katniss. "Don't take it out on Peeta, and anyway it was his mum's fault, that's why he's here and she's at the police station."

"No, he's right. I should've encouraged her to go home then I would be there and not her," I say feeling really guilty. "In fact I should be there, not her."

"Yeah, well, you should be there you right about that," Gale says. "Your actually right about something for once, because cheating on her was not right, epecially if you were doing just so you weren't the least popular at your school."

"I'll wait outside so you three can be alone," I say getting up and before I leave I lean over and kiss Katniss on the cheek and walk towards the door, I can't stand to see her like that especiallly when it's my fault.

"Can you get a doctor Peeta?" Says Mrs Everdeen with a sigh of relief and I turn and see Katniss and her eyes are half open, "this isn't good, she should either be asleep or awake, if this happens she could be injured severly."

I rush out of the room and call for a doctor, one comes immediately and I watch from the door as they survey her, her eyes are closing very slowly. My heart is racing what if this is it, what if this is the end of Katniss Everdeen.

_Katniss POV_

I want to keep them open, I don't want to see the darkness again, I want to see the bright light in this surprisingly clean room but they won't let me, I try to lift my arm but it's as if it's fallen asleep, I can see a woman and a young girl and a boy in a wheelchair and in the very corner of the room by the door is another boy but who are these people? Why are they in this room? Just then a man comes rushing in wearing white, he opens my eyes for me and I try to thank him but when he lets go they start to close again, I don't want this to be the end, I want to live and have a boyfriend and finish school and get a job and get married and have kids, this can't be the end when I don't have any of these things, not even a boyfriend. No one loves me, but where's my family? Do I have a family? Everything is all jumbled up in my head, I see some people leave the room and more people in white come in and slowly, very slowly, my eyes close and I'm enveloped in darkness again.

_Time skip to Sunday (Two days forward)_

I open my eys and I'm in an empty room no one is with me, why am I here? I lift my head and feel a pounding in it but I ignore it and I sit up and find wires attached to me, I see a window and seem to remember climbing through a window, maybe if I climb back out, everything will be fine. I rip the wires off me causing a loud bleep to fill the room, but I race as fast as I can to the window it's open very slightly, I open it more and just as I jump, I see that same boy come rushing into the room and he disappears from view as I jump.

My feet come into contact with the ground quite quickly and I begin to run, I run as fast I can, the pounding in my head getting worse, but I have to escape this prison, I have to escape that boy. Who is he? Just as I reach the edge of the prison, I'm injected with something and I immediately fall into someone's arms and I'm greeted with darkness like an old friend.

_A year later (Peeta POV)_

Katniss has been awake for a month now but she has only recently remembered her sister and mum so the doctors say she might never feel the same way about me again, they predict she will eventually remember Gale and they're introducing Gale to her today. He's been out of his wheelchair for almost a year now and there is no fear of a concussion, my mum's in jail and so is Hazelle, they managed to find her tahnk God, if she had gotten away I would've screamed.

I've not been home since Katniss fell into her coma after jumping out of the window and trying to run, I refuse to go home, even Prim, Mrs Everdeen and Gale go home everyday but not me. I'm alowed to finally go into her but only when she's asleep and I can't touch her at all, it's slightly depressing actually but I couldn't eat anything for the first month of her coma but the doctors say if I didn't eat I wouldn't ever see her awake so I'm only alive myself because of her.

I'm sitting next to her now, she's asleep and I've decided to make her a cheese bun for lunch because I've heard that she hates the hospital food, I hope she still loves the cheese buns. I hear her mumble and so I get up, placing the cheese bun on her bed, and leave the room just as she opens her eyes.

_Katniss POV_

I awake to the most amazing smell, ever I recognise the smell I open my eyes and find a bun on my bed, a cheese bun, my favourite. I remember when me and Prim used to get one of these every week, Peeta used to make the all the time. Hang on a minute, Peeta . . . Peeta Mellark. He made the cheese bun's at his families bakery, I remember climbing in through his bedroom window, I remember a woman and a wooden pole and I was protecting Peeta, why would I protect Peeta. And then relisation crosses my mind.

"Peeta Mellark is my boyfriend."


	11. Chapter 11

**Hey! I know the last chapter was rushed a bit but because a year passed by that means, Peeta and Katniss are seventeen and Peeta has broken up with Delly, Prim is eleven and she would've started school at Mockingjay High now. Also both Hazelle Hawthorne and Melissa Mellark are in prison, Hazelle for beating up Gale and Melissa for beating up Peeta and Katniss. We left it when Peeta had left a cheese bun and Katniss woke up from a sleep to find it, the cheese bun reminded her of the bakery and then of Peeta and then of Peeta bing her boyfriend. As always read & review!**

**MrsMellark78**

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_Katniss POV_

I remember everything about Peeta his blonde hair, his blue eyes, his smell of freshly baked bread and cinnamon even the small details such as double-knotting his shoe laces and sleeping with the window open. I told all this to the woman who helps me remember, her names Venia she really helps me, she helped me remember Gale just before my nap and now i'm talking about someone completely different.

"Well, it seems you remembered lots about Mr Mellark," says Venia still writing on her clipboard. "As well as figuring out why you ended up here, I never thought about bringing things that might help you associate them with a person. He'll be really glad to know that you've remembered."

"When can I see him?" I ask, I really, desperately want to see him. I miss him so much, wait what if he doesn't love me anymore, what if he's found someone else, what if he's back with that Delly person? "Do you know if he still loves me? When can I go home?"

"You can see him in a minute and I think you should ask him whether he still loves you or not," she says standing up from her chair. "I can't say whether someone still feels the same way after a year but I hope for your sake they're exactly the same if not bigger. You will be able to go home, hopefully this week."

She leaves and I sigh, but what if he doesn't love me, what will I do then? I hear mumbing outside the door and I decide to walk to the only window in the room, I've had the same view for a month, well actually, a year but I was in a coma for most of that. I hear the door click open and I don't bother turning around it's probably just the caterers dropping off lunch, or Venia come to tell me that Peeta isn't interested in me and never wants to see me again. I continue to look out the window but get the surprise of my life when someone wraps their arms around me, I tense up and delicately turn around and I'm met with the same blue eyes but they don't have there old sparkle, they look tired and dull and bloodshot. I wrap my arms around hima dn we stand there for what seems like forever and I would've been fine if it was a hug forever as long as it's one of Peeta's hug.

"Have you slept at all?" I mumble into his shoulder, "why do you look like your about to cry?"

"I can't sleep, it's just I'm always worried about you and I've been sleeping on an uncomfortable hospital floor for a year and I've just been told that my girlfriend after a whole year has finally remembered me," he says almost crying. "Would you have slept and cried?"

"Well, probably if it was you, but it's just me. Why would you cry over me? I'm not anyone special, no one should cry over me," I say and it's true I'm not anyone special, if anything I'm the least special person in the entire world. Why should someone cry over me?

"That's exactly it though, you are someone special. I think it's really ridiculous how you don't think your special, you are the most popular girl in school and your so oblivious to it and that's what makes you popular. I haven't been to school at all but whenever someone went into the bakery my dad passed on the gift or the card or the message. But I have to say everyone has given you something but everything is at your house because they said you should wake up to an empty room." he explains, "I thought it was stupid but anyway what do you remember? About anything and everything."

"I remember how you were horid to my best friend Delly and she went to Austrailia and returned without telling me and then you too were going out even though we went on a date. You had a plan to make me seem worse than Delly when in front of your parents so they'd except her, you accidently fell in love with me. Gale, my cousin, got beat up by my aunt Hazelle and we knew nothing about him, I took the day off school to visit him, that's when I found out about your plan, the reason Prim wasn't with me was because she was at Dance Academy. We brought Gale to our house but when I went to your room to get his phone, you had left a note saying that you did love me, me and Gale were planning revenge but I phoned you up and you thought I hated you. I went to your house climbed through the window, waited for you, you cam but were beat up, your mum interupted us and I protected you and that is why I am here. I remember waking up a few days later and seeing you just before I jumped out a window but when I was running I was injected with something and I ended up in a coma for nearly a year." I say proud that I can remember all of this, "the only things I don't know is, did you break up with Delly? and did Hazelle and your mum go to jail?"

"Yes, to both of them, I really hope you can come out soon," he says and we're still hugging. "I missed you, so much."

"Venia said I should be out this week, hopefully sooner, have you been to the bakery since I was in here?" I ask worried about what his dad and brothers might think.

"No, I haven't been home but my family have come to see me and you though but only when your asleep." He answers truthfully, "I'll go and ask Venia if you can come out today or tomorrow."

And he exits the room leaving me alone and still standing by the window, I can't wait to leave this place, it gets so boring here seeing the same people everyday I think I might go crazy. I hear the door unlock and I turn around to see Venia, Gale, mum, Prim and Peeta, standing in the doorway, smiling and I frown.

"Yopu never told me you could remember all that, Katniss," Venia says. "You might've been out alot sooner."

"I didn't remember alot but when I saw Peeta it's like evrything came flooding back, I'm not sure why." I say puzzling myself, "It's very strange."

"It isn't actually," Venia replies walking over to me. "Alot of things leading up to your injury involved Peeta in one way or another, I don't know why I didn't think of it before. Delly is related to Peeta, Gale being injured is related to Peeta, the reason your in here is related to Peeta, and I've got some ggod news. You just have to pass a few tests and then your free to go, it could be today or tommorrow, it just depends. Shall we start the tests now?"

I nod and she begins asking me simple questions about my life and I get them all right and then she goes onto more finer details, like where I sit in my math class, or the name of the dog that I used to take walks but I still get them right and Venia smiles afterwards and walks out with everyone leaving me alone and unsure of what to do.


End file.
